Haryana bag seven awards in Scout and Guide activities

by Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, NOV 19

 Haryana has bagged seven awards including the shield for commendable Scout and Guide activities in the State. The State got first position in the Scout section and second position in Guide section in the National Commissioner Shield Competition-2012. These awards have been given for membership growth and overall achievements. Haryana was awarded for increase in census in Cub Section, Rover Section and Bulbul Section.  Haryana also got Laxmi Mazumdar Award in Scouts and Guides Section.

These awards were received by Dr K.K.Khandelwal, State Chief Commissioner, for Scouts and Guides, Haryana State and Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary to Government of Haryana, Information and Public Relations Department, on the occasion of 62^nd National Council Meeting of Bharat Scouts and Guides in New Delhi today.

The meeting was presided over by the President of the Association Mr Rameshwar Thakur, former Governor of Madhya Pradesh.      Mr L.M.Jain National Commissioner was also present on the occasion. About 200 leaders of Scouts and Guides from all over the country participated in the Annual National Council Meeting.

Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda has congratulated Haryana State Scouts and Guides for their remarkable achievement. Mr Hooda himself has been a scout since school days and has given all encouragement to the scout and guide activities in the State. During his tenure as Chief Minister, he has given special grant of Rs. four crore to Haryana State Scouts and Guides for various training facilities.

Mr Jagannath Pahadia, Governor of Haryana, who is Patron-in-Chief of Haryana State Scouts and Guides has also congratulated the Organization for its splendid achievement.

             State Chief Commissioner for Scouts and Guides,  Dr K.K.Khandelwal, who is also the Vice President of Bharat Scouts and Guides, said that there are more than four lakh Scouts and Guides in Haryana State. Dr. Khandelwal said that Scouting and Guiding is a voluntary,   non-political, secular, non sectarian and uniformed youth movement. It was founded by Lord Baden Powell in England in 1907 and started in India in 1909. It aims at the development of the personality of its members and trains them to serve the society. There are four sections of the members, namely, Bunny (3-5 Yrs), Cub/Bulbul (6-10 Yrs), Scout/Guide(11-17 Yrs and Rover/Ranger(16-25 Yrs.). Once a Scout Guide is always a Scout/Guide, he said.

 Elaborating about the activities of Scouts and Guides Organization, Dr Khandelwal said that besides the skill development programmes in the local camps, Scouts and Guides take part in the district, state, regional events and national jamborees. They earn badges for learning the skills. Members of the movement are  also involved in the community development activities, such as sanitation drives, health campaigns, leprosy eradication, AIDS control and awareness, anti-smoking and anti-drug campaign, environment education, tree plantation, traffic control, vocational training, service at fairs and festivals, celebrations of important days, disaster preparedness and relief service in the calamity affected areas. Other such activities are educational tours, national integration camps and participation in international events, in addition to activities of hiking, trekking, campfires, cultural programmes, competitions and  living together, which are of special attraction to youth.